Lunar Flares
by Berlioz II
Summary: Kimi wants to see Machi's home!" Big mistake? Or a blessing in a very obscure disguise. Also contains some Yuki/Machi allusions.


_My first time dabbling in the Fruits Basket fandom. The one thing that I always really liked about this manga was definitely the Student Council, and the assortment of very different types of people associated with it who still made a very fulsome team together regardless. Of them all, I was particularly attracted toward Machi and Kimi. Machi for being perhaps one of the most realistic characters of the whole manga, and Kimi for just being so incredibly fun (even regardless of Kimi's many "negative" aspects, I just cannot help but like her). So that's where the idea for this fic kinda started. Considering how different Kimi and Machi are, and how they don't really have that much interaction with each other, I just wondered how they'd be like away from the influence of everybody else. So this is my little exploration of it._

_This is mostly light humour stuff, with slight angst on Machi's part in the beginning. I don't know, but does it seem slightly cruel of Takaya-sensei to push Yuki and Machi together like that, and then still end up separating them in the end for basically a long period of time (a few visits here and there notwithstanding). Machi probably could use some more active support at this early fragile stage instead of being forced into this kind of long-distance relationship so soon. Just seems a bit harsh._

_Anyway, hope you enjoy._

_Fruits Basket © Natsuki Takaya, 1999-2007  
Original Story © Berlioz II, 2009_

* * *

Another day.

Another mediocre, run-of-the-mill, by-the-numbers day. A day like any other day during any time of the year throughout any of the seasonal switches.

Just another day like yesterday…

In fact, in a way, that probably best described Kuragi Machi's entire life, not just the single day referred to as a Thursday on the almanac by most people who cared. She personally didn't, only keeping tabs on the days so that she wouldn't mistakenly go to school on a weekend.

And why would she need to pay attention anyway? Walking back toward her apartment building from another rather pointless day spent sitting around in the school building, listening to the droning of teachers, taking notes she knew she'd probably never really have any use for in her life beyond when their usefulness in a test situation had passed, and taking care of student council business she was still saddled with even if the majority of the people she had worked with before with these duties had long since departed, Machi felt more and more disconnected with the world than usual.

She didn't much pay attention to the people walking past her, or who overtook her only to disappear again toward wherever they were going, and she didn't really want to notice them too much either. After all, why would she? She'd never see any of them again and anybody living beyond her little imaginary bubble that encased her within it would most likely not be interested in her either as they never were.

There were times when Machi seriously wondered what was really the point. You are born. You live an X number of years. You die. End of story. Yet people often seemed to have this strange drive to want to do a lot of things during that section of existence between birth and death that often seemed to be completely contrary to Machi's own desires… whatever those desires actually were. And to what end? To be honest, Machi didn't really know the answer to that. After all, once you died, what you did with your life would hardly matter to you all that much anyway. You can't take it with you, and even if other people who were left behind might miraculously benefit from your exertions, that would still be thin comfort for the original achiever… that is if you ever got the distinction of being called that in the first place.

Machi somewhat doubted that she'd ever receive such an honour. Nor did she herself really have that much drive in her to even attempt to make a difference that would warrant praise of any kind. Not really. She just never was "special" or "important" enough to have that kind of significance to allow her to somehow achieve anything remarkable in her life.

Perhaps that was somewhat of a depressing way to look at life, but… Machi really didn't have much else to go with. And she always told herself that it didn't matter anyway. Her life was what it was and that was really all there was to it. At least so it seemed.

In fact, the only real highlights in her days were the regular affectionate phone calls she'd receive from her, what she supposed he was now called, boyfriend Sôma Yuki each evening as he lived off his university life far away from Machi. But more than anything, they perhaps made her life feel even more sad than it otherwise was. It wasn't that she disliked his calls - in reality she relished in them - but they always had the unfortunate side effect to force Machi realise how much not physically seeing him almost every day made her miss him more than she wanted or had expected to. And the worst thing was that at this stage of her life she had no power to change the reigning circumstances either.

Ultimately, these feelings were too ripe to breed even more isolation in her mind; knowing that after those calls she'd be completely alone again until that next call came. And when combined into her regular schedule, Yuki himself started to seem all the more remote to her, like a voice echoing in her imagination, never really existing in reality at all; a dream that was once so sharp, but which was now reduced to a long-distance dream she had difficulty remembering the details of. She supposed that was probably the reason why people often said long distance relationships rarely worked. Not that she was about to give up on it now that she actually had that rare somebody who actually seemed to be happy that she was alive or existed in the first place… but still this forced separation gnawed at her and made her feel conflicted with her hopes and expectations for the future.

Sometimes she even found herself wishing that she had never met her former Student Council President for at least before that time she'd never felt the need to be truly depressed with her life. But now that she had had a taste of something different beyond what the base routines of her existence had contained before, Yuki's absence from her daily life only served to emphasise the fact of how lonely and empty her life otherwise truly was. At least before that she didn't have the need to acknowledge her pathetic status quo consciously, but now it seemed to be getting way too obvious.

She _did _occasionally try to liven up her life a little by going for walks, but they usually were worth next to nothing. She'd just wander aimlessly around the city before getting tired and going back to her messy apartment having accomplished absolutely nothing.

If she had been of the disposition, she'd have sighed. But even that seemed like such a extraneous thing to do that Machi rather contained it in her lungs. Wallowing in self-pity just seemed so utterly lame.

And at the end of the day, to her usual dissatisfaction after everything was summed up, all that was really left was yet another pointless day in another pointless week during another pointless year in her pointless life that was skidding in its place like caught in mud… And that was the plan how this day was to unravel as well, except for…

"MACHI-CHAAAAAAANNN!!!"

Machi gave an involuntary jolt at the sudden shrill and loud voice that unexpectedly intruded through her private thoughts by shouting her name. That certainly wasn't usual to happen in her experience… actually it had never happened in her experience.

Turning around slowly, she didn't have much time to note anything else but an energetic and exceedingly happy looking young woman with flowing black hair running fast towards her with widely extended arms, the next thing she knew being this person's body colliding with hers and capturing her in a tight embrace.

Machi umph'd slightly from the force of the impact and remained rigidly in place as the other person glomped her with an excess of zest as if she was wanting to attach herself permanently to Machi's body.

"Ahaha! I knew it was you! I just knew it! Kimi could never mistake Machi for anybody else! If she did Kimi'd be sooooo embarrassed!" the girl beamed, still maintaining the exceedingly warm and over-familiar embrace. Machi made no move to return the favour - partially out of a mix of shock and embarrassment for being confronted with such a personal-space invading greeting so unexpectedly - rather waiting for the other girl to get enough and release her before it would be fitting and proper for her to say or do anything on her own… though the other girl didn't seem to be getting the hint.

It took another 30 seconds for the energetic girl to finally release her from her clutches and to take a half-step backwards. Machi immediately caught her chance to offer the more appropriate greeting that had been hovering on her tongue for the better part of a minute now, more out of want in trying to settle things down to more moderate levels as fast as possible so as to clip the resurgence of any other possible display of overt affection, "Tôdô-san…"

Machi was immediately rewarded by a snappy slap on her upper arm, "What's with the Tôdô-san, Machi? Just call me Kimi! Like you did in school!" (Machi didn't remember this having ever been the case) "We're friends after all, so friends should call themselves with their first names. Besides, Kimi likes to be called Kimi because Kimi is such a pretty name, and Kimi likes Kimi! So call Kimi Kimi, okay Machi?" the other continued with a sunny smile.

_Kimi likes Kimi__…__ that most certainly is true__…_Machi thought, though not allowing any particular emotion to reflect from her passive face as she quietly nodded that she understood the instructions of how to properly address her former Student Council secretary, whom she still didn't remember having ever referred to as 'Kimi' before.

"So strange to see you here on the street," Kimi continued, Machi not quite understanding what was so "strange" about it. "Kimi was just walking there, minding her own business, when she saw Machi and figured she should go and say hello to her. So hello!"

"…Hello," Machi lamely greeted again, not really sure what else would be appropriate to answer to that line. And saying nothing at all could be viewed as being exceedingly rude… supposedly.

"Ah, Kimi was just coming from a date! It was really sweet! Kimi liked the guy a lot, and he was real handsome and a true gentleman," Kimi decided to announce in a spur-of-the-moment type of way with a dreamy look on her face.

Machi nodded silently.

"Oooh… but he was also a bit obsessed with his hair and not enough about Kimi's much finer hair, so Kimi's not sure if she'll see him again…" Kimi pouted cutely, while Machi could only sweatdrop in silence. It seemed rather that the guy was the one who was lucky here…

"Anyway, Kimi was just on her way home, and then saw Machi on the street, like she said…" Kimi continued, while Machi once more gave a simple nod, the passive girl starting to get a bit impatient at waiting for the other girl to finally get to the point. "…So Kimi just started thinking about where could Machi be going like that… so… where are you going to, Machi?"

"Ah… h-home…" Machi stuttered out under the sudden pointed question.

"Home?" Kimi asked almost incredulously to Machi's ears.

"Umm… yes. I live near by so it is not a long way for me to walk," Machi said.

"From where?" Kimi asked, still looking somewhat baffled.

"Uh… school…?" Machi answered with a sneaking thought that Kimi was perhaps being serious with her questions.

"Ah yes! Machi still goes to Kaibara High, right? I thought so since you're still wearing the school uniform!" Kimi sunnily smiled in sudden realisation. "Kimi's already a university student."

Machi had to take a double take on that last comment. Was Kimi just… boasting in her face? Or was she genuinely just making a statement? Machi really found it impossible to determine which it was.

"Kimi was supposed to be at the university today, too, but when a teacher told Kimi how well she was doing, Kimi asked if she could get the rest of the week off, and he said it would be okay. So, now Kimi is free to do whatever she wants until Monday," she said happily, the smile never leaving her face.

Machi just stared at Kimi. Kimi was… incomprehensible. If she tried that, she'd get detention. Yet Kimi gets exempted from studying… There didn't seem to be any logical sense in any of that.

But Machi didn't have much time to mull over this fact when Kimi piped up again, "So how've you been doing then since we last saw each other?"

"Oh… I'm… I'm doing fine," Machi modestly said, "Umm… actually I've…"

"Oh, that's sweet. Kimi's been doing fine, too," Kimi interrupted, "Yep. It's so great at being in university now since the guys are _all _so much _hotter_ and _mature_ than in high school… or at least a big bunch of them. There's some real ugly ones in there too, but it's not like Kimi needs to pay attention to them does she…"

Machi was struck silent as Kimi again went into full gushing more about things she was interested in, and leaving poor Machi once more morosely wondering if Kimi had intentionally asked that question, not really out of want to know how Machi herself had been doing, but to allow herself a good bridge to jump into again talking about herself. Most likely this interpretation had the highest probability of being true, though then again… did Kimi really need a bridge to shift the topic to herself? Maybe not really…

"…But of course Kimi still has her standards and decency. Of those Kimi will never budge from, no matter how hot the guy is. If they say 'no' to Kimi, then she'll honour that wish. Kimi's a good girl, after all, and doesn't want any ill will to anybody, tee-hee!" Kimi said very innocently.

"…Yes," was all Machi decided to say.

"Ah, by the way. Speaking of school, are you still on the Student Council, or did you get booted off when all us capable people left?" Kimi asked.

Machi chose not to be offended by that comment, "Yes. I'm still on the Student Council."

"Eeeh? Really? And what about Nao-chan? Is he there still? He was a year younger too."

"Yes… The faculty wanted to keep a couple of people with experience there instead of assembling a completely new board of members."

"Ha… So, is Nao-chan still as much a hot-headed workaholic than before?" Kimi asked mischievously.

"Actually… he seems somewhat happier now than during the preceding two years… He mentioned something about the… 'moron squad' being gone as… refreshingly rejuvenating…" Machi said soberly.

"Hmph! Chibi-chan's so rude! No wonder no girl ever wanted him… with an attitude like that. Machi, you need to avenge your former colleagues since Kimi can't do it now," Kimi demanded indignant, looking very serious.

"…Avenge…?"

"Yeah! Like… throw him with a water balloon. Or fill his trousers with shaving cream, or something."

"…I see… I'm not… sure…" Machi cautiously started before Kimi interrupted again.

"He deserves it for being so mean! Ach! No!! I don't want to think about school right now. Kimi's supposed to have the day off! Hey, Machi-chan! From one thing to another. Didn't you just say you were going home or something? Like you don't live a long way away from here, right?"

"Um… Yes…? I don't… quite… unders…"

"Well, Kimi's never seen where Machi lives. So now that Kimi's got nothing better to do, she wants to go to Machi's place!" Kimi announced imperiously, like an empress giving an order to her servant.

Machi blanched a bit at this. Kimi wanted to come visit her apartment? That somehow didn't sound like a good idea. Even if she did strive to keep it somewhat clean since Yuki's insistence, it still wasn't exactly the most presentable place in the world. Not to mention, Tôdô Kimi at her home just… sounded like a bad idea.

"Umm… I… I'm not… That is… Maybe… not… Tôdô-san…" Machi tried forming her thoughts into a curt enough reply, but in the face of Kimi that seemed to be doomed to failure from the very outset as she slapped her again on the arm.

"I already told you. Call me Kimi! So which way is it? There? Well, then let's go, Machi! Kimi is so excited," Kimi said enthusiastically, already starting to sashay down the street in the direction Machi had originally been going.

Machi looked after her and sighed in dejection. It seemed there was nothing she could do. After all, what was she going to say to Kimi? "No?" That'd be the joke of the decade. Turning in defeat, Machi continued on her way home with Kimi now in close tow against Machi's better judgement, chattering continuously in Machi's ear.

- O -

After a walk of 10 minutes, Machi and Kimi finally arrived behind the door of Machi's apartment.

"This building looks pretty cheap," Kimi commented, almost making Machi want to bash her own head against the wall. She had already got to hear during that 10 minute walk several allusions to Kimi's wealth, how well-off she was, how scrappy Machi's neighbourhood looked, and clear allusions to that Kimi was pretty much a superior human being in pretty much every way compared to some less-rich people… though at the same time Machi was also sure that Kimi didn't mean any harm by that. Or at least she supposed Kimi really never meant these things to be taken maliciously. _It's just the way Tôdô-san is, _she thought.

"This is where you live?" Kimi asked.

Machi nodded as she fished out her key and inserted it into her door's lock. Opening the door with trepidation, she walked in to the room that was as she had left it that morning: clothes and books strewn around the floor, a tipped over jar of pencils on the desk, tousled sheets and a pillow tossed to the side on the bed, and dirty dishes littering the small kitchen on the side Machi just hadn't bothered to wash. But even with all this, her home was still considerably cleaner than it had been in the past before she had had the inclination to want to keep the place less messy. As difficult as that was to her.

Still, she could not allow her inner sanctuary to be too orderly. She needed her disorder to keep some sense of stability and sanity in her life as Yuki was nowhere to personally help her cope with the problems of her youth. It just felt somehow more comfortable and safe to Machi's fragile psyche to wrap herself with the things that had helped her survive in the past in face of being forced to struggle with her over-bearing identity crisis.

Of course, this comfort-level wasn't to be achieved today it seemed as her surprise visitor, diplomatic as ever, was quick to note, "Eeeeh? Machi-chan! Look at how messy this place is! You're a real slob! Machi, you should really clean up before you're going to be entertaining guests."

If only Kimi was not a girl, Machi probably would have slugged her in irritation the same as Yuki or Kakeru. But through some urge pulsing deep inside her, it told her _that_ would be somehow wrong, just as she had allowed Kimi to handle her like a rag doll back in student council meetings and such, and not thrown her through a window. Couldn't be helped. Machi just couldn't make herself treat Kimi the same way as the guys, and thus patiently swallowed the criticism without a word.

In the mean while, as Machi seethed in her place, Kimi strutted further into the room, deftly trying to avoid stepping on any of the loose articles lying on the floor. Kimi was frankly surprised. She had always supposed the quiet types were also orderly and clean… though now that she thought back on it, Machi did seem occasionally to have problems with this particular virtue of ladylike behaviour.

Particularly looking over to the kitchen, she couldn't help but scrunch up her nose somewhat at the unhygienic-looking dishes lying in piles on the table. "Don't you have a maid to clean up for you, Machi?" she asked curiously.

"…No," Machi said simply. _Who does she think I am? Erikawa Keiko?_

"Aww… that's too bad. Kimi has plenty of maids who do whatever she tells them to do," Kimi said almost off-handed as she continued looking around Machi's home.

"That's nice," Machi said evenly, not really interested in expanding on the subject all that much.

Kimi then made her way to Machi's ruffled bed and daintily sat herself down, careful not to sit in any possible "surprises" she thought might be hiding under the bed sheets.

After that an awkward silence ensued. Machi looked around a little embarrassed and clueless as to what she was supposed to do next. After all, it wasn't usual that she had guests, so she wasn't really that in the know in how to really be a proper host. But she also knew that she couldn't just stand around there dumbly doing nothing, so she did the first thing that popped to mind from the book on proper etiquette she had once been forced to read, "Um… Tôdô-san…" Machi started.

"Ach, how many times do I need to tell you to just call me Kimi?" Kimi said a bit frustrated.

"Ah… oh… sorry. Kimi-san…" Machi amended and continued, "Uh… Would you… uh… like some… thing to… drink… or something?"

"Ooo, Kimi could really use some tea!" Kimi said smilingly.

"…Alright." Machi had tea. She could do that.

"Yeah, I'd like some Tieguanyin tea with a strawberry sweetener and a lemon twist," Kimi specified.

Machi looked at her blankly for a moment before saying, "I have some Earl Grey…" Kimi gave an involuntary shudder and seemed to visibly deflate upon hearing this, "Umm… uh… I'm sorry. That's all I have…"

Kimi looked a bit dejected, but asked anyway, "Is that all you have to drink around here?"

"Oh… No. I… I also have water," Machi said, sounding almost ever-so-slightly enthusiastic about it, probably hoping to get a better reaction.

Kimi however just gave a low groan, "Ugh… I guess… the Earl Grey's better than just… plain water… I guess…" she said, while adding under her breath, "…though not by much."

Machi saw this as her sign to spring into action as she nodded quickly, stepped into the kitchen area, took out a couple of cups, and started dexterously preparing the tea, not wishing for Kimi to get even more disappointed.

As Machi busied herself with the tea, Kimi decided to try and pump up her spirits a bit more as she sat on the bed waiting for the drink. Turning her head some more in inspection, something immediately struck her as a bit odd. It didn't quite hit her at first what was specifically wrong with the room - besides the messiness - but it soon clicked with her. Calling out to Machi, she said, "Hey, Machi! Can Kimi ask you something?"

"Yes…" came the economical response.

"Well, Kimi's just curious, but… what exactly do you do to spend time here? I mean, where's the TV? Or the Playstation, or the computer, or… really anything! Do you even have a radio?"

"Um… no. I don't have any of those things. I just… study and sleep," Machi truthfully responded.

"EEEEHHH???" Kimi nearly jumped out of her skin. _Study and sleep? _Kimi could hardly believe her ears. Sure Machi was boring and all, but that was just ridiculous. "Machi! That's so… that's… umm --- Kimi doesn't know what but nothing good anyway. Machi, that's so pathetic!"

"…"

"I mean, what do you mean you just study and sleep? That's like… Kimi can't believe it!" Kimi said incredulously.

"Well… My parents thought… that those kinds of things were just… distractions. That… wouldn't need… I wouldn't need them, so they never got me those things… TV or anything," Machi said quietly.

"Huh?! But Machi… That's so sad! No TV, or computer, or radio… that's like living in… ancient times or something. It's just not… right," Kimi said sympathetically.

"I do… sometimes read a book," Machi said, trying to sound at least a little less pathetic to Kimi, but Kimi thought otherwise.

"A book? Who reads books anymore? I mean, books are _so_ like 1945. Oh, Machi… Kimi's sooo sorry! Kimi didn't know you were this poorly off!" Kimi said, apparently meaning to sound compassionate and supporting, but sounding more conceited to Machi's ears more than anything.

After that another silence developed between the two girls. Machi busied herself with the tea even more than she actually needed, while Kimi descended into bothered thoughtfulness upon Machi's life's predicament. To Kimi it just seemed so barbaric to deny somebody the basic luxuries everybody in her mind was entitled to. After all, every one of her three personal rooms had a TV, and she had her own computer and stuff, too. She just always had figured these were all such basic necessities that when somebody didn't have even one of them was just… well, criminal.

Her musings were cut short, though, as Machi returned, carrying a tea tray into the room, setting a small table in front of the bed-seated Kimi, and served the drink to Kimi as well as herself, "Here. Please enjoy, Tô… um… Kimi-san."

Kimi said a quiet 'thank you' and took the cup, carefully taking a sip. She gave a small grimace. The tea tasted just as much like dishwater to her finely-tuned palate as she remembered, but at the same time she figured she should try not to show her disgust to Machi too much considering the poor girl's obvious situation. After all, Kimi was a generous person, and Machi was obviously trying her best there, so Kimi thought she'd have to put her best effort into making Machi happy. Maybe she should one day bring Machi some _real _tea instead of this laundered water she now had.

"It's really good, Machi. Thank you," Kimi lied with a smile. Machi quietly nodded, and Kimi could have sworn that she saw a very faint glimmer of a smile on the girl's lips before she covered them up with her own cup. Then again, it could have just been her imagination.

As the two were "enjoying" the tea, Kimi once more allowed her eyes to wander around the cramped apartment, absorbing little details here and there, like a pair of socks lying in one corner, or what seemed to be a Frisbee discarded near the kitchen sink, and then… Kimi's eyes stopped moving as they caught something unusual.

On the table, strewn with papers and pencils, slightly hidden behind the rubbish, was a framed photo. But looking at it more closely, something in Kimi's head made her grab a double-take. Machi noted that Kimi had suddenly started intensely looking at something on her table and, upon glancing in the direction the other girl was looking at, gasped in shock.

But it was too late. Just as Machi quickly made a dive toward the photo, Kimi had already moved in a similar fashion and grabbed the picture in her hand before Machi got that far.

Looking at the picture, Kimi's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Wha… What's this?" she asked flabbergasted.

Looking out from the picture was Machi along with none other than Yuki, standing side-by-side with a content look on their faces. But it wasn't just the fact that both Yuki and Machi were in the picture, but rather the _way _they were posing, with Yuki tightly holding his arm around Machi's shoulders, while Machi was snuggled against Yuki's body with a slight blush adorning her face. They looked… way too close for this to be some kind of a "friend" picture. Not to mention, Yuki wore a smile so bright and happy that Kimi didn't remember ever seeing her former Student Council President smiling like that. Not even to Kimi herself.

Kimi looked away from the picture and at Machi. Machi was now nervously fidgeting with her uniform skirt, head hung low so that her hair was shielding her face, which was now glowing red.

"Machi? Is… Are… What's…?" Kimi tried to frame her thoughts into words. "Are… are you and… and… and Yun-Yun… like… an item? Or… what's with this picture?"

Machi was so embarrassed she couldn't even look up, let alone say anything.

"Are… Are you and… Are you in… Are you both… l-l-lovers? Y-You… and Yun-Yun? Machi and Yun-Yun?" Kimi continued, looking so flabbergasted that one could have almost expected her eyes to pop out of her head any moment now as they darted between the photo and Machi's nervous form like a pair of footballs.

Machi bit her lip and gave a very, very slight nod, still refusing to look up, "…Yes."

"KINKY SEX LOVERS?!" Kimi screeched, finally making Machi's head shoot up, flushed in such a deep shade of red that she seemed like she was about to get an aneurysm.

"N-NO!!!" Machi yelled in shock.

"Oh my God! Machi and Yun-Yun are having SEX!" Kimi said, jumping up.

"No! No we're… we're not! Don't think up such things!" Machi said in horror.

"I… I can't believe this! This is… like… this is… so surreal! Yun-Yun… with Machi… I'm… I'm… I… I think I'm… going to faint…" Kimi said as she lifted a hand on her forehead.

Machi jumped up too, somewhat worried for Kimi's condition in spite of her own flustered embarrassment. "K-Kimi-san… m-maybe you should… sit…"

"When?!" Kimi demanded, pushing the photo in Machi's face. "When did this happen?! Kimi needs to know!"

"Uh… well… just a… little while before… he… left high school… and we… just kind of… well…" Machi choked out.

"So… all those times you and… Yun-Yun were alone in the council room… you were… making out and stuff? Behind Kimi's back?" Kimi said, sounding almost as if she had just caught the two cheating on her.

"N-no… not like that! We… We never… like that in… school…" Machi tried explaining, seemingly caught in the same play of being the "other" woman to Kimi's wife.

Kimi looked back down at the picture, and at the happy looking faces that stared back at her. Yuki looked so… incredibly happy. And even Machi, though she wasn't smiling, seemed so… content that it caused a feeling to develop in Kimi's heart she wasn't really familiar with.

Looking again at the girl standing before her, embarrassed to the point of nearly crying, Kimi's natural impulses could not be held back any more now that the worst of the shock had worn off. Without saying anything else, Kimi put the picture back on the table, and instantly jumped on Machi, catching her into a monster glomp, nearly causing Machi to have a heart attack.

"OH MY GOSH!!! This is like the coolest thing ever! Yun-Yun and Machi! High school sweethearts! It's like a freakin' fairytale! Like the Prince falling in love with Cinderella! OH! MY! GOD! I CAN BARELY CONTAIN MYSELF!!!"

Machi was helpless in Kimi's hold as she gushed about in utter ecstasy, remembering again the various times Kimi had decided to grab hold of her like a giant puppet. When Kimi finally released her from the over-enthusiastic hug, Machi was assaulted by a number of questions that caused her to get really disoriented.

"How did it start? Oh, you've got to tell Kimi! When did you first find out you liked each other? And where? And what did you do? Tell Kimi everything!"

"Uh… Umm…"

"So when's the wedding going to be?"

"W-Wedding?"

"Ooo! Can Kimi be the Maid of Honour? Please, Kimi will be so happy!"

"Ah… Ah…"

"Thanks, Machi! You're the best! And what are you going to name your children?"

"W-What…?"

"If one of them is a girl, can you name her Kimi? Kimi'd be so honoured! And Kimi's such a very nice name anyway, so it's decided!"

"Umm…"

"And of course, you'll have to move into some higher end neighbourhood! I mean, Yun-Yun's a Sôma, so he must be loaded rich. Maybe in the Minato district at the Roppongi area…"

Poor Machi was now utterly lost. Within just the space of 30 seconds she was already married to Yuki, had children (one of them named Kimi) and were living in a mansion in the Minato district. What next? Deciding which cemetery she was going to be buried at? This was all so overwhelming all of a sudden. She didn't even hear when Kimi called her as the vision in her eyes suddenly dimmed.

"…chi! Machi! Machi, wake up! Machi, are you all right?"

Machi opened her eyes, and looked up at the worried face of Tôdô Kimi as she was kneeling down over Machi's body lying on her messy floor.

"Machi-chan? Are you feeling better?" Kimi asked less franticly now.

"Wha… What happened," Machi whispered.

"Well you just got this really distant look in your eyes all of a sudden, and then you blanched completely and fell down on the floor! Kimi was so worried and scared."

"Oh… Sorry…" Machi mumbled.

"So… are you feeling better now, Machi?" Kimi asked calmly.

"I… I guess so," Machi said unsurely.

"Hmm…" Kimi put her index finger on her chin, "Well, there's one way to make sure…"

Machi looked up curiously at Kimi as the latter girl without warning savagely started tickling her. Machi screamed and started wildly wiggling about as Kimi's slender fingers started going over her ribs. Machi had always been terribly ticklish, so this was like a nightmare come true.

"Aaahhh!! K-Kimi-san! P-P-Please stop! Stop tickling… me! NO! Stop! Ayeeee!!"

After a while Kimi stopped, looking satisfied, "Well, seems you're just fine now. Kimi knows her tricks well," she said with a smile and a wink. Machi, though, wasn't sure whether she should hold onto her previous resolution of not punching Kimi, or if she really was asking for it.

Kimi, on the other hand, stood up and offered another sunny smile, "Machi, you're so cute, you know that?" Saying that she bent down and offered her hand to pull Machi up from the floor. Machi wasn't in the best of spirits, but silently took the hand anyway.

Once both were standing again, Kimi gave Machi a sweet smile, "Anyway. Congratulations, Machi. Kimi's really happy for you two."

"T-Thanks…" Machi said still gently blushing, looking down again.

"Really. Kimi never saw this coming. You did put Kimi on quite the loop there. Such an odd couple, isn't it?" Kimi beamed.

"Umm… I…"

"But, wait. Isn't Yun-Yun in some university out of town?" Kimi asked curiously.

"Umm… yes. But I'm… working hard to get to be with him… later. And… he calls me every day," Machi said.

"Oh, that's so sweet! Maybe Kimi can wait for him to call and then Kimi could talk to him so he'll fall in love with Kimi," Kimi said looking sincere.

Machi gasped in horror, looking like she was about to loose it completely. The way Kimi just said that sounded like Kimi was being completely serious, and made Machi's latent jealousy and possessiveness jump up a few grades, "W-What?"

Kimi, though, just grinned and sniggered, "Hi hi hi! Don't worry, Machi-chan. Kimi's just teasing. Of course Kimi wouldn't try to steal Yun-Yun away. Kimi's a good girl, after all, and Machi-chan is her friend. But you just looked so cute. All flustered and embarrassed, I couldn't help myself. Sorry!"

Machi sighed deeply, starting to feel the effects of what her emotions had gone through that day already from depression to anxiety, surprise, embarrassment, and what others.

Thankfully for Machi, though, Kimi's cellphone made a little melodic beeping noise just then. As Kimi fished the phone out of her pocket, she exclaimed, "Oh! Machi, so sorry, but Kimi thinks she needs to go now. Kimi didn't notice the time passing so fast. Kimi needs to get home quick and get ready for a date later this evening."

_What? A date? But__…__ wasn't she just _coming_ from a date...? _Machi thought with wide eyes. Kimi didn't seem to notice as she already bustled about putting her suede coat and leather boots on. Once she had finished this task, she turned back to Machi, "Hey, it was real cool seeing you again, Machi. Sorry Kimi has to run off like this…"

"Mmm… It's alright," Machi assured.

"But… maybe Kimi'll come by again, if that's okay. Then we can talk more girl stuff, or about Yun-Yun or whatever," Kimi smiled brightly.

"Ah… um… Alright…" Machi said quietly.

"Great! Then until later. And don't forget to send greets to Yun-Yun from Kimi when he calls. I'm sure Yun-Yun would want to know Kimi's doing splendidly."

After another nod from Machi, Kimi opened the door and jumped outside with a final, "Well, bye bye, Machi! " and was gone.

Machi was left staring at the door for the better part of a minute after Kimi had left. She didn't quite know what she was feeling at that moment - it was all a bit mixed up - but despite all the emotional upsets she had experienced with the energetic Tôdô Kimi, at the same time she felt almost… _happy__…_that she had met Kimi on the street and that she had come to her home. It sounded foolish, but… somehow not… as bad as she had expected it would be.

It had definitely taken her thoughts away from the more depressing ones she had been entertaining the whole of the day, if nothing more.

Turning around and looking down at the photo on the table of her and Yuki together, it made a slight feeling of warmth to rise in her chest she hadn't properly been feeling for a while now. Maybe… just having somebody else express their happiness on both Yuki and her relationship made it feel just… a bit more justified. Acceptable. Particularly to Machi.

Taking the picture in her hand, Machi gently caressed the outline of Yuki's face with a slight smile on her lips.

Tonight, she'd wait for the phone call. Really wait for it. And perhaps… she'd even wait for Kimi's promised next visit. Maybe…

Setting the frame standing in the middle of the desk in easy sight, Machi grabbed the tea tray and took it back to the kitchen, emptying the remaining tea in the drain.

Perhaps her life wasn't _quite _as pointless as she had felt it was. Yes, not that pointless at all…

_

* * *

I admit I didn't know how to really end this, but this is what I did, so this is what you also get. I'm marking this as complete, but I may write something new for this if I feel like it. Or if there is any demand for it. Anyway, this isn't really designed to be a multi-chaptered story. Just a little fun exercise on writing these two characters. By the way, I intentionally shifted Kimi's mode of talk between first and third person, so it's not a mistake. Just feels a little more balanced if she doesn't _always _talk in the third person._

_Hope you enjoyed reading._


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